Politics: Where we struggle to kneel in the muck.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by Adder
She's an idiot. Your point is?

Who are you, and what have you done with Adder?

[Not Me]

Originally posted by Adder
I'm not implying anything. I am saying that if you believe in god simply because you see no downside in not believing in god, you have no principles.

OK, so reading comprehension isn't your strong point. Read this slowly and maybe it will be more clear. I said that there was no downside to BELIEVING in god.

Originally posted by Adder
Ad(thought that was pretty clear the first time)der

I am sure you did think you were clear. However, the point of communication is to be clear to those to whom you are communicating. Got that?

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
My dear boy, you say my hedge? I'd actually submit that your fear is your hedge. Ironic, no? You be sure to let me know when you aren't afraid of the end, and I'll continue the conversation with the true atheist you've become at that time. Until then, you are the Converted. A Believer so to say. Mass is at 5:00 on Saturday.

ETA: Oops, and I missed that thing about animals. How would you know that animals fear the end? I've seen animals die quite peacefully after being bad their whole lives. We used to have this dog Sandy who was constantly grabbing garbage from a garbage can and then walking by us in the living room while watching us from the corner of her eye, like "come and get me, bitch".

I say you have no explanation for your fear, and you end up speculating on whether animals think about the afterline. My dear, dear, dear friend, did you say my line of reasoning is specious? Holy BeJeezus.

Look, I'm the king of hijacking posts and changing subjects, but when confronted, I honestly debate. I offered a rather simple theory, and you've dishonestly ducked it over and over again.

Belief in god is at its core fear driven, because people want to think there's something out there, somewhere to go after death. You haven't offeered me a single different explantion for belief in god, or anything to refute my theory. In place of debate, you've either purposefully misrepresented my words or are actually an idiot and truly can't follow my simple point. Its not a retort to say "its you, not me, who's afraid."

As to the animal thing, I watched my 16 year old cat get euthanized. They very much understand when they're old and dying, and if you've owned pets you understand this.

I will be afraid at the end. Thats my point, you idiot. Do you have learning disabilities. We all have a fear of the unknown and dying is the great unknown. The difference is you believe you're going somewhere and I'm man enough to admit I don't know if I'm going somewhere, and I'm not fool enough to "belive" I am based on the zero evidence available.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
How can I maake it more succinct. Your need to believe in a god is rooted in fear.

I'm Joe Atheist. I've spoken to many gawd-feering types, and I think that the need to believe in a god is rooted in a desire for beauty as much as it is in fear.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
I will be afraid at the end. Thats my point, you idiot. Do you have learning disabilities. We all have a fear of the unknown and dying is the great unknown. The difference is you believe you're going somewhere and I'm man enough to admit I don't know if I'm going somewhere, and I'm not fool enough to "belive" I am based on the zero evidence available.

But will you admit I'm right and you'll repent at the end? mohammed Atta probably had a moment, coming up the river, where he started to question whether he'd actually get all the virgins. Fear of death is universal- even for the true believers. people are just asking: don't you admit there is a 1% chance of god?

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
For the record, I am not that columnist . . .

Did you say this with pride? I would like to be that columnist . . .

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
Right.

Only living people can add up a national debt.

People who elect Dems won't make it that far.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by bilmore
Only living people can add up a national debt.

People who elect Dems won't make it that far.

That's right. Dick Cheney will hunt them down and kill them. With Antonin Scalia.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by bilmore
Did you say this with pride? I would like to be that columnist . . .

It was a long article, and the only part I disclaimed is the part about our country's changed needs, because the part I skimmed seemed to pooh-pooh our nation's need to conduct a robust military offense/defense overseas for the time being.

Hello

[bilmore]

Originally posted by taxwonk
That's right. Dick Cheney will hunt them down and kill them . . .

Oh, hell, his heart would give out in the first flush . . .

(Was that cheap humor? I'll take it back if it was . . .)

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
Look, I'm the king of hijacking posts and changing subjects, but when confronted, I honestly debate. I offered a rather simple theory, and you've dishonestly ducked it over and over again.

Belief in god is at its core fear driven, because people want to think there's something out there, somewhere to go after death. You haven't offeered me a single different explantion for belief in god, or anything to refute my theory. In place of debate, you've either purposefully misrepresented my words or are actually an idiot and truly can't follow my simple point. Its not a retort to say "its you, not me, who's afraid."

As to the animal thing, I watched my 16 year old cat get euthanized. They very much understand when they're old and dying, and if you've owned pets you understand this.

I will be afraid at the end. Thats my point, you idiot. Do you have learning disabilities. We all have a fear of the unknown and dying is the great unknown. The difference is you believe you're going somewhere and I'm man enough to admit I don't know if I'm going somewhere, and I'm not fool enough to "belive" I am based on the zero evidence available.

Quick, where's an adult to tell me to go to my room?

You are quite the name-caller, huh pal?

I'm not accusing you of having anything like a "belief" in God. If you took that literally from my post than you should run out and buy a sarcasm meter. I'm accusing you of misrepresenting a belief in Nada, Nothing, Nobody or whatever you said

I should really be able to ignore you. Why can't I ignore you? Please resign from your post as a moderator of a dead board so I can.

It is you who are hedging, and its in stark contrast to your asserted belief in Nada, Nothing, Nobody. You said it, so what words am I putting in your mouth? You also said everybody is afraid of the end. You denying this?

Here's a clue. The two are irreconcilable. You can't deny God entirely (i.e., Nada, Nothing, Nobody) if you can't disclaim a fear of God. You can't be afraid of something that you affirmatively assert does not exist. Nobody is afraid of nothing. Tell me again how your doggy cried for its mommy when it was going to doggy heaven. At best, people are afraid of what is out there in the unknown. In your case, you are afraid of Who you think might be hiding behind door #1. Yup, you are afraid of the possibility of a big, hairy, vengeful God.

Quick, call me some more names and tell me how you didn't say what you said. I'll see you at mass in 2 days, m'kay buddy? You don't mind if I sign you up for the choir, do ya?

ETA "door"

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
don't you admit there is a 1% chance of god?

Of course, what else would he be afraid of in the great everlasting Nada?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
Which part didn't you believe? Its your papers that said it.

My papers? Each of those papers has their conservative bias as well. Anyway, I've looked at today's NYT, WaPo and LA Times, and I can't figure out what you're talking about. Cite, please.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
I'll put 1% odds that the real midwest October Surprise is a last-minute preelection arrest of Mayor Richard M. Daley, one of his 3 top lieutenants, and/or Governor Rod Blagoyevich. How much damage would this do to Kerry and co.?

Not much. Obama might be so crippled that he'd win by less than 40, though.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by sgtclub
I've been too busy to respond substantively today to the porn thread, but does anybody remember what Tipper Gore was famous for before "The Kiss."

Blow jobs? No wait, that was Nancy Reagan.